Lead wire assembly

ABSTRACT

A continuous lead wire assembly having a plurality of parallel insulated lead wires arranged in a number of like wire groups, a carrier strip extending along the length of the assembly with splice-type crimp barrels spaced at regular intervals along the strip on one side thereof, the lead wires extending across the strip with one end of each wire secured in each crimp barrel.

United States Patent Bakermans et al.

[ 1 Feb.4, 1975 1 1 LEAD WIRE ASSEMBLY [75] Inventors: Fransiscus C. Baker-mans,

Shiremanstown; William C. Thorns, East Berlin, both of Pa.

[73] Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.

22 Filed: Aug.7,1973

21 Appl.No.:386,4l0

[52] US. Cl 339/28, 29/1935, 206/56 A, 339/276 SF I51| Int. Cl H01r 11/08 Field of Search 339/28, 29, 276 SF;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Berg 29/1935 3,473,219 10/1969 Randur et :11. 29/1935 3,510,829 5/1970 Keller 339/276 SF 3,795,889 3/1974 Nauman et al 339/276 SF Primary Examiner.l0seph H. McGlynn Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thomas Hooker [57] ABSTRACT A continuous lead wire assembly having a plurality of parallel insulated lead wires arranged in a number of like wire groups, a carrier strip extending along the length of the assembly with splice-type crimp barrels spaced at regular intervals along the strip on one side thereof, the lead wires extending across the strip with one end of each wire secured in each crimp barrel.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures LEAD WIRE ASSEMBLY The invention relates to continuous lead wire assemr blies of the type disclosed in Berg US. Pat.' No. 3,437,460. The improvement relates to the manner in which the carrier strip is secured to the lead wires and to the carrier strips used to make the assemblies. In the Berg-patent, one end of each lead wire is crimped in a barrel on a carrier strip and the wires extend from the barrels away from the strip. In the disclosed invention, the ends of the lead wires extend across the strip and are secured to the strip by an insulation crimp barrel, which together with wire crimp barrels form splice barrels. Bare ends of the wire conductors are positioned in open wire crimp barrelspermitting subsequent positioning of additional wire components in the barrels prior to closing of the crimp barrels for forming a permanent electrical connection between the conductors in the leads and the additional components. The insulation crimp barrels are positioned between the carrier strip and the wire crimp barrels thereby facilitating the positioning of the component in the crimp barrels. Positioning of the carrier strip beneath the lead wires and between the ends of the wires greatly facilitates the formation of the lead wire assembly. The carrier strip is initially formed with spade terminals extending from the side of the strip opposite the insulation and wire. crimp barrels used to hold the lead wires to the strip. In the manufacturing operation, these spade terminals are secured to the other or free ends of the lead wires which are secured in the insulation crimp barrels and extend across the strip. I

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, of which there is one sheet.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a plan view of a portion of a carrier strip used to form the lead wire assembly;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a partially broken away plan view of a portion of a lead wire assembly according to the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a continuous carrier strip assembly comprising an elongate metal carrier strip 12 having pilot holes 14 formed therein at regular intervals along the length of the strip. Spade terminals 16 extend from one side of the strip at regular intervals along the length thereof. Each spade terminal includes an insulation crimp barrel 18, a wire crimp barrel 20, and a contact portion 22. Splice crimp barrels 24 extend from the opposite side of the strip 12 at regular intervals along the length thereof with each splice crimp barrel 24 located opposite a spade terminal 16. Each splice terminal 24 includes an insulation crimp barrel 26 and a wire crimp barrel 28. The insulation crimp barrel is located between the wire crimp barrel and the strip 12. Spade terminal 16 and splice terminal 24 are secured to strip 12 by severable connection portions 30 and 32 respectively. The spade terminal 16 and splice terminals 24 are arranged on the carrier strip 12 to form a number of terminal pairs located at regular intervals along the length of the strip.

The lead wire assembly 25 of FIG. 3 is formed by securing the spade terminals 16 of strip 10 to the ends of individual groups 34 of insulated lead wires 36. The groups extend along the length of the assembly. The wire crimp barrels 20 are secured to the bare conductors of the wires and the insulation crimp barrels are secured to the insulation of the wires. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the wires in each group may be of different lengths.

The lead wires are secured to the carrier strip I2 by splice terminals 24. The wires extend across the strip and are positioned in the splice terminals 24 with the insulation crimp barrels 26 thereof secured to the lead wire insulation. Bared conductor ends 38 extend freely into the open wire crimp barrels 28 to permit subsequent positioning of a circuit member in the barrel with the wire ends prior to the crimping of the barrel 28 to form an electrical connection between the other component and the wire end.

While I .have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A lead wire assembly comprising a carrier strip extending along the assembly with a number of wiresecuring means extending to one side of the strip at regular intervals therealong, and a plurality of parallel insulated lead wires arranged in side-by-side relation along the length of the strip and extending generally perpendicular to the strip and across the strip with each lead wire associated with a wire-securing means, each wire-securing means including an insulation crimp barrel secured to one end of a lead wire and an open wire crimp barrel with a bared lead wire conductor disposed in the wire crimp barrel and contact means on the other ends of said wires located on the opposite side of said strip.

2. A lead wire assembly as in claim I wherein said lead wires include a number of like wire groups positioned serially along the length of the assembly with each group made up of a number of lead wires having different lengths arranged in a predetermined sequence according to length.

3. A terminal carrier assembly comprised of a carrier strip having pairs of opposed terminals extending from opposite sides of the strip at regular intervals along the length thereof, each pair of terminals including a first terminal on one side of the strip and a second splice terminal on the second side of the strip, severable connections between each terminal and the strip, the first terminal com prising contact means and a crimp member for forming an electrical connection with contact wire, and the splice terminal comprising a splice barrel and an insulation crimp barrel with the insulation crimp barrel located between the splice barrel and the strip. r t 

1. A lead wire assembly comprising a carrier strip extending along the assembly with a number of wire-securing means extending to one side of the strip at regular intervals therealong, and a plurality of parallel insulated lead wires arranged in side-byside relation along the length of the strip and extending generally perpendicular to the strip and across the strip with each lead wire associated with a wire-securing means, each wiresecuring means including an insulation crimp barrel secured to one end of a lead wire and an open wire crimp barrel with a bared lead wire conductor disposed in the wire crimp barrel and contact means on the other ends of said wires located on the opposite side of said strip.
 2. A lead wire assembly as in claim 1 wherein said lead wires include a number of like wire groups positioned serially along the length of the assembly with each group made up of a number of lead wires having different lengths arranged in a predetermined sequence according to length.
 3. A terminal carrier assembly comprised of a carrier strip having pairs of opposed terminals extending from opposite sides of the strip at regular intervals along the length thereof, each pair of terminals including a first terminal on one side of the strip and a second splice terminal on the second side of the strip, severable connections between each terminal and the strip, the first terminal comprising contact means and a crimp member for forming an electrical connection with contact wire, and the splice terminal comprising a splice barrel and an insulation crimp barrel with the insulation crimp barrel located between the splice barrel and the strip. 